Rheinmetall to supply additional Gladius soldier systems
Rheinmetall has announced that the German Army has placed further orders for the Gladius soldier system. The order, announced on 8 February, will see the company supply a further sixty systems, in addition to the initial thirty systems ordered in 2012.
This follow-up order is worth €84 million, and encompasses equipment for 60 infantry sections with a total of 600 soldiers. The systems will be delivered in two batches of thirty systems each, with the first to be delivered mid-2013, and the rest by the end of 2013.
The German Army is already taking delivery of the systems placed under the 2012 order. The delivery schedule will ensure that the next two contingents of troops due to deploy to Afghanistan will receive the new equipment well in advance. The troops will have until June 2013 to train with the new system before going to Afghanistan.
Developed by Rheinmetall, Gladius substantially exceeds the capabilities of previous infantry systems used by the German Army, especially with regard to networkability, command and control, and combat effectiveness. The system is designed to significantly improve the overall operational effectiveness of German infantry units while simultaneously enhancing the survivability of individual soldiers.
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